9 nights, 17th to 26th May inclusive, 2019
Following the success of our first Scottish tour, Mary, Queen of Scots, in 2014, we are delighted to be returning to Scotland to travel even further afield and explore the spectacular scenery and the historic heritage, food and culture of this beautiful ancient kingdom. Our tour is built around four themes: William Wallace and Robert the Bruce; the sixteenth-century Stewarts and Mary, Queen of Scots; Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites; and Queen Victoria and her descendants, including H.M Queen Elizabeth II.
There is another theme too: for those who enjoyed the books and the TV series of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander, there will be the opportunity of visiting many of the sites used in the series.
To enhance your experience, and share their knowledge, six historians will accompany you on the tour: myself, Sarah Gristwood and Nicola Tallis; Julian Humphrys and (for part of the time), Tracy Borman, Michael Jones and Siobhan Clarke.
We are aware that some guests may have visited some of the historic sites on Caledonia already, on our Mary, Queen of Scots tours. For them, and to give every guest a wider choice, we are offering alternative itineraries on those days. We are also offering a more relaxing alternative to our long day out in the Scottish Highlands.
We will be staying in three of Scotland’s most luxurious hotels, and visiting royal palaces, castles, stately homes, churches, gardens, museums and the home of Scotland’s famous monster. As usual, there will be an enrichment programme of talks and visits by guest historians, and all the other elements that go to make up an Alison Weir Tour.
Staying at:
The Principal Hotel, George Street, Edinburgh 5* (3 nights)
Boasting an enviable location in Edinburgh’s city centre, the historic and chic Principal is close to Edinburgh Castle, Princes Street Gardens and the Royal Mile, and offers world-class service. It has elegant rooms, conference and meeting rooms and This Grade II listed building with its distinctive facade was built in 1775, and has undergone a great refurbishment project that has transformed the elegant bedrooms and public areas. The architecturally-designed interior has created a sense of restored grandeur with simple detailing and the use of natural materials. Each room features a flat-screen TV, free WiFi, and an en suite bathroom. The hotel has a gym and offers free high-speed WiFi. The Printing Press Bar & Kitchen serves seasonal Scottish produce throughout the day and night. Coffee, cakes, pastries, sandwiches and salads are available at Burr & Co, open seven days a week. A full room service menu is also available.
Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder, Perthshire 5* (3 nights)
Established in 1924, The Gleneagles Hotel is a prestigious resort in the heart of Scotland and one of the most famous hotels in the world. Set within 850 acres, it offers three championship golf courses and a spa, along with a falconry school. Guests can also enjoy off-road driving, horse-riding, dog training, shooting and other leisure pursuits. This grand resort offers a variety of elegant rooms and luxurious suites, with free Wi-Fi. The Gleneagles Hotel serves an award-winning full Scottish breakfast. It has three restaurants, including Andrew Fairlie’s, Scotland’s only 2-Michelin-starred restaurant, and several elegant bars. Gleneagles Hotel also offers The Club, where guests can enjoy fitness classes. It boasts 2 swimming pools, a sauna, a steam room, a gym and an outdoor hot tub. Set amongst rolling hills, the resort is home to The PGA Centenary and National Academy Golf Courses, along with The King’s Course and The Queen’s Course.
Fonab Castle Hotel, Pitlochry, Perthshire 5* (3 nights)
Nestling in the picturesque Scottish Highlands, Fonab Castle Hotel, refurbished and opened in 2013, boasts luxurious rooms, scenic views, mature gardens and free WiFi. Each individually designed room has been decorated sympathetically to blend a contemporary style with the original architectural features. The elegant en-suite bathrooms have spacious walk-in power showers, bathrobes, slippers and Thierry Mugler toiletries.Luxury Egyptian cotton, a flat-screen smart TV with Revo entertainment system, a Nespresso coffee maker, tea making facilities, fresh fruit and mineral water are also included. Some rooms offer views of the Loch Faskally or of the Highlands’ landscape. There are two on-site restaurants; the Fonab Brasserie, offering lighter meals, and the Sandemans Fine Dining Restaurant, for a sophisticated dining experience. On warmer days, guests can enjoy an al fresco dinner on the terrace overlooking the loch. The cellars boast a great selection of wines, whiskies and gins.Pitlochry Golf is only a 5-minute drive away,
Visiting
The Georgian House, Edinburgh (optional)
The Royal Yacht Britannia
Edinburgh Castle
OR
Mary King’s Close and Gladstone’s Land
Linlithgow Palace (Wentworth Prison in Outlander)
OR
Drumlanrig Castle (Bellhurst Manor, seat of the Duke of Sandringham in Outlander)
Dirleton Castle
Tantallon Castle
Lennoxlove House
Rosslyn Chapel
Hopetoun House (seat of the Duke of Sandringham in Outlander)
Midhope Castle (Lallybroch in Outlander) (unless closed to visitors)
Blackness Castle (HQ of Black Jack Randall in Outlander)
Doune Castle (Castle Leoch in Outlander)
Stirling Castle
Kellie Castle
St Andrews Castle, Cathedral and town
Scone Palace
Tibbermore Church (scene of the witch trial in Outlander)
Drummond Castle Gardens (Versailles in Outlander)
Culloden Battlefield and Visitor Centre (Outlander)
Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle (cruise)
OR
Blair Castle, House of Bruar and the option of free time in Pitlochry
Balmoral Castle
Crathie Church
Glamis Castle
Falkland (1940s Inverness in Outlander)
Falkland Palace
Culross (the Mercat Cross area is the village of Cranesmuir in Outlander)
OR
Aberdour Castle (the French monastery in Outlander)
Dunfermline Abbey and Palace/The Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum
The Palace of Holyroodhouse
Included meals
(4 dinners, 4 lunches plus lunches for those who opt to visit Drumlanrig Castle and Blair Castle, 1 champagne reception)
Gala welcome drinks and dinner on the Royal Yacht Britannia
Lunch at Drumlanrig Castle for those visiting the castle
Lunch at The Tweeddale Arms, Gifford
Lunch at the Stables Tearoom, Hopetoun House
Drinks and a ‘Taste of Scotland’ dinner at Gleneagles Hotel
Lunch at Scone Palace
Lunch in the Tullibardine Restaurant for those visiting Blair Castle
Drinks and dinner at Fonab Castle Hotel
Lunch in the Piper’s Hall Café, Balmoral Castle
Gala farewell drinks and dinner at Glamis Castle
Farewell champagne receptions at the Principal Hotel and the Palace of Holyroodhouse
GUEST FEEDBACK
"It has been an absolute privilege to spend the last 10 days travelling through time with some of our top historians Alison Weir, Sarah Gristwood, Nicola Tallis, Tracy Ashworth, Siobhan Clarke and Julian Humphrys - you are simply the best ! Thanks Roger for the Nessie talk and thanks to Joanna Marston and John for taking such good care of us!"
"Your guests loved it as well. A lifetime of memories in only 10 days."
"We loved it! Many thanks to Alison Weir, Sarah Gristwood, Nicola Tallis, Julian Humphrys, Tracy Ashworth, Michael Jones, Siobhan Clarke! What a gift to have attended!!!"
"I had a fabulous time. AWT did its usual wonderful job in planning and executing the tour. Thanks for everything!"
"Thank you again for such a wonderful tour. It was spectacular as always and so many planned and unexpected events were done for us! I can't tell you how wonderful it was to see Holyrood Palace without 30,000 other tourists; and the bag pipe event at Glamis - amazing."
"What a simply amazing tour!"
"I want to thank you for a truly restful and healing vacation. I was mentally and emotionally refreshed and I can’t thank you and your team enough."
It was wonderful. I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed the tour. The AWT staff deserves credit for handling [a medical emergency] in an effective professional manner. I feel in very good hands. A wonderful tour and a great set of memories."
"Tthanks to each and every one of you for making the holiday so very special and one that I will remember forever. It is a massive effort to travel from the other side of the world but worth every minute to have the experience that I have had with you all."
"Another wonderful trip!"
"I still can't get over how wonderful Caledonia was! Each Alison Weir Tour provides a unique opportunity for luxurious time travel guided by world class historians. Entertaining lectures, gourmet dinners, and 5-star hotels are all part of the package. They are a rare treat and not to be missed."
"I had a fabulous time on Chivalry, thank you to the AWT team for putting the tour together. Everything was perfectly curated, from the food to the accommodation to the day trips. The highlight for me was engaging with the people - the historians, the other attendees, AWT team. Everyone was so lovely and I felt very welcome!"
"I had a wonderful trip, from start to finish. More so than the sites or amazing talks, there is something truly special the AWT groups brings. It’s hard to quantify what it is, other than simply magical."